The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-10-29
MADE OUT OF MISERY.
Dollars That Mark Sad Down Steps on
the Down-bin Road.
From the Nelo York Tribune.

- O~N~N 49,
the Down-bin Road.
From. the Neo York Tribune.
A pawnbroker was busily engaged yester-
day afternoon looking through his books in
his shop on the Bowery, near Hester street.
One of Inspector Byrnes' detectives stood
at his elbow, looking over the book also.
The detective was looking for some stolen
property, which he had been informed had
been planted in this place. While they
were running over the items, there was a
sharp ring at the office door-bell, and a
woman walked slowly to the counter. Her
clothes were a faded black and torn in
places There was nothing but sadness in
the pinched lines i'll her face, and her
emaciated body and trembling hands told a
story of woe and misery louder than words
She started back pace or two as the pawn
broker stepped nimbly in front of her from
behind his desk, as if half inclined to get
away from the place altogether. There
were tears in her eyes when she went back
to the counter, and she turned her face
partly around from the pawnbroker, to hide
her emotion There is little sentiment in
the pawnbroker'S heart and he tapped ner-
vously on the counter, waiting for the
woman to say or do something. After a
moments mental struggle, she took heavy
gold ring from her finger, and pushed it to
ward the money lender. 1t was her we'd
ding ring. The pawnbroker examined the
ring closely, weighed it and tested its quail
ty with acid. Being satisfied that it was
genuine, he laid 81 and a ticket on the
counter. He did not ask the woman's name;
she had been to see him before. She
clutched the money quickly and hurried
away, trying vainly to keep back the sobS
that welled up into her throat.
well. that's the end of her." said the
pawnbroker, as the smile of Shylock spread
over her face, and raised wrinkles on his
bald head.
what do you meanT he was asked.
cit means that I've lost her trade, and
will probably never see her again. No
matter how hard the luck a woman is III,
the last thing to go is the wedding ring.
Her husband may have been a worthless
scoundrel, but she will stick to the ring I'M
til there is nothing else to pawn. A pawn
broker is a constant witness of the decline
of the human race, or, at least, certain
portion of it. Watching the slow march
from wealth to poverty is his daily amuse-
ment. Take the case of this woman. 1t is
a typical one She came here first about two
wears ago. She was then gay, well-dressed,
and had diamonds in her ears and on her
fingers. She threw off a diamond ring
with careless air, and asked for loan, ex-
planning that it was only a temporary af
fair. and that she would be in few DAYS
and redeem it. She came back again, not
to redeem, but to pledge more of her prop
erty. She kept coming from time to time,
until now, when all her jeweltry and clothing
of any value is in pawn. I've watched this
thing thousand of times in my 40 years ex-
perience, and it's an old story
What leads people to pawn their prop
erty?'
I'm ninety nine out of 100 cases rum and
opium. IF it were not for these thing pawn
brokers would walk the whole wear round
and have little fat ON their ribs The liquor
dealer is the pawnbroker's best friend.
A loen rarely exceeds one-third the market
able value of the goods. 1t is rare thing
for women to redeem goods. Men sometimes
do when the property Is valuable or what is
oftener the case, they sell the ticket to some
friend. who redeems the goods because he
usalIy gets bargain, Some people have a
passion for pawning things There is no ne
cesity for them to do SO, but it comes from
an eccentric mental condition, such as is
found in kleptomaniac, and they cannot
help it." --;.;.- e..,,, .,.
with stolen goods"
s'Not as many as is COMMONLY supposed.
We have our eyes open all the time for
stolen goods as it is not pleasant to have
the reputation Of keeping ''fence." The
pawnbroker is an adjunct of the detective
Office and frequently gives evidence which
leads to the detection of thieves. 1t has
been done so often that thieves look with
suspicion on a pawnbroker, and when they
have any goods to dispose Of usually melt
them for old gold or silver, or take them TO
another city and pawn them. Not a day
passes that an attempt is not made to swim
die the pawnbroker by trying to get loan
on some valueless stuff. 1t is not often that
we get caught, because we have a test
for everything. A pawnbroker has to have
a good k 7owledge of values, both of new
and secondhand goods, in order to get all
there is in bargain. 1t is hard sometimes
to hear poor wretch begging for a few
more PENNIES advance on a loan, but it's
not hard to refuse when it is remembered
that the less money these people have the
better they are Off Take it at the best, a
pawnshop is a gloomy place, and it only
shows the unpleasant side of human ma
ture"
as there any money in the huslnessp'
upon every package in pawnshop is
written M. NJ his is usually taken to
mean misery and money, and it's safe to say
that the pawner gets the misery and the
pawnbroker the money. challenge you to
find starving pawnbroker in the city.
There is no business in which there is so
much money made ON the capital Invested.
II is all profit There can be no losses, as
for every dollar put on there are So pledged"
Safe and Sure.
A remedy manufactured at home and